It's easy to see why college scouts know their way to the Bears' Den.
Sophomore forward Jalen Ricks scored 23 points to lead Sylvan Hills to a 53-42 victory over Beebe at the Bears' Den in Sherwood on Tuesday night.
Sylvan Hills Coach Kevin Davis said Ricks has been recruited by 10 or more NCAA Division I schools, including the University of Arkansas, Auburn, Indiana and Oklahoma State.
"For a sophomore to have that many schools on him, that's really a credit to Jalen," Davis said. "He's a shooter, but he doesn't just shoot the ball. He helps his team however he can help his team."
The game had typical earmarks of early season basketball. In the first 2:50, the teams combined for four turnovers and five missed shots. Ricks missed two free throws, but his slam dunk broke the scoring drought with 5:10 left in the first quarter.
A 19-foot jump shot by senior forward E.J. Smith pulled Beebe within 4-2, but the Bears (8-1) scored with three-pointers on three consecutive possessions. Freshman Nick Smith hit the first, and Ricks the next two. The latter gave Sylvan Hills a 13-2 lead, and Beebe Coach Ryan Marshall called timeout with 3:13 left in the first quarter.
"I told them something like just calm down and do what we do every day," Marshall said. "Their pace had us sped up a little bit, and we were getting out of what we need to do."
Smith led Beebe (2-6) with 13 points.
"He plays with a high motor," Marshall said.
A three-pointer by Ricks gave Sylvan Hills its largest lead at 43-25 with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter, but Beebe battled back.
"[Ricks] is so talented," Marshall said. "A guy who can shoot the ball like that with his range, he's just a talent, and the thing he doesn't get the credit for -- and their whole team's this way -- is he just has a high basketball IQ. They all know what's going on out there."
Smith's driving layup pulled Beebe within 45-35 with 4:04 left. A three-pointer by senior guard Hayden Montgomery had Beebe within 51-42 in the final minute, the closest it had been since early in the second quarter.
"You have to give Beebe an A for effort," Davis said. "Those kids battled the whole ballgame."
Sports on 12/12/2018